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Message: <blockquote data-quote="haakon1" data-source="post: 5692805" data-attributes="member: 25619">Simon and Jack7, your posts are just awesome.Sadly, I think too many things you write are awesome, so I can't give either of you more XP.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />BTW, it might be interesting to read up on academic theories about (British, naturally) class:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_structure_of_Britain" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_structure_of_Britain</a>For medieval and early modern UK:Cottagers and labourers -- Cottagers were a step below husbandmen, in that they had to work for others for wages. Lowest order of the working castes; perhaps vagabonds, drifters, criminals or other outcasts would be lower.Husbandman (or other tradesmen) -- A tradesman or farmer who either rented a home or owned very little land was a husbandman. In ancient feudal times, this person likely would have been a serf, and paid a large portion of his work or produce to the land-holding lord.Yeoman -- The yeoman class generally included small farmers who held a reasonable amount of land and were able to protect themselves from neighbouring lords et cetera. They played a military role as longbowmen. Sometimes Merchant citizens are placed between Yeoman and Gentry in early modern social hierarchy.Gentry/Gentleman -- The gentry by definition held enough assets to live on rents without working, and so could be well educated. If they worked it was in law, as priests, in politics, or in other educated pursuits without manual labour. The term Esquire was used for landowners who were not knighted. Many gentry families were armigerous and of ancient lineage possessing great wealth and large estates.Knight -- The definition of a knight depends upon the century in which the term was applied. In very early medieval times a knight was a common soldier; later as cavalry became more important the knight's role became more associated with wealth. By the seventeenth century a knight was a senior member of the gentry, and the military role would be one of sheriff of a county, or organizing a larger body of military forces, or in civil service exercising judicial authority. He was a large land owner, and his younger sons would often be lawyers, priests, or officials of some sort.Baronet (hereditary, non peer) -- A baronet held a hereditary style of knighthood, giving the highest rank below a peerage.Peer (Noble/Archbishop) -- The peers were generally large land holders, living solely off assets, sat in the House of Lords and either held court or played a role in court depending upon the time frame referenced.Modern class in the UK (perhaps easier for the modern audience to grok): Grade     OccupationA             Higher managerial, administrative or professionalB          Intermediate managerial, administrative or professionalC1             Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative or professionalC2             Skilled manual workersD             Semi and unskilled manual workersE             Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners and others who depend on the state for their incomeI believe I'd be Grade B now, but my ancestors were cottagers.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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